matthews



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. MATTHEWS, Decd.

. E. and G. MATTHEWS Executors. COMBINED VENT AND SAFETY VALVE FORBOTTLING MACHINES.

No. 305,525. Patented Sept. 23, 1884.

N ruins. PhmoLhhognpMr. Wnhingtou. n. c.

(No Model.) 3 Slmets-Sit1 eef;- 2.

J. MATTHEWS, Decd. I

E. and G. MATTHEWS Executors. COMBINED VENT AND SAFETY VALVE FORBOTTLING MACHINES.

No. 305,525; Patented Sept. 23, 1884.

(No Model.) 3 SheetS Sheet 3. J. MATTHEWS, Deed.

E. and G. MATTHEWS Executors.

COMBINED VENT AND $APETY VALVE FOR BUTT-LING MACHINES. No. 305,525.

Patented Sept. 23, 1884.

N. PETERS. Phmwhlhcgmphnr. Washinglou. n. c.

UNTTED STaTns PATENT @rrion.

ELIZABETH MATTHEWS AND GEORGE MATTHEWS, OF N EW' YORK, N. Y., EXEGUTORSOF JOHN MATTHEWS, DECEASED.

I O OMBINED VENT AND SAFETY VALVE FOR BOTTLlNG-MACHINES.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,525, datedSeptember 23, 1884.

Application ma Dccember14, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatJoHN MATTHEws, late of the city of NewYork, in thecounty and State of New York, during his lifetime did invent an ImprovedCombined Vent and Safety Valve for Bottling-Machines, of which thefollowing is a complete specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of abottlingmachine containing the invention of the late JOHN MATTHEws. Fig.2 is a detailed side view, 011 an enlarged scale, of part of the rod fordrawing down the cap which holds the bottle in place. Fig. 3 is an edgeview of the same; Fig. 4, a cross-section on the plane of the line a c,Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional side view of the attachmentbelow the table of the bottling-machine. Fig. 6 is an end view of thelower part of the valve-chan1- her, which is shown in Fig. 5,thevalvc-spindle being removed. Fig. 7 is a top view of the lever thatconnects with the valve-spindle.

Fig. 8 is a top view of the valve proper, that is shown in Fig. 5. Fig.9 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line 70 is, Fig. 5. Fig.10 is a vertical cross-section of the whole machine. Fig. 11 is ahorizontal section taken on the plane of the line 0 75, Fig. 10. Fig. 12is an enlarged vertical section of the upper part of the vent-tube.

This invention relates to certain improvements on bottling-machines ofthe kind'indicated in Letters Patent No. 260,765, that were granted tothe late John Matthews, July 11, 1882, having for its object toadapt-such abottling-machine to the filling of bottles containinginternal gravitating stoppers. Such bottles are best filled in aninverted position,with

their mouths down, provision being made for holding the internalstoppers out of the way during the act of filling. V

The present invention consists in combining, with the mechanism thatholds the bottle in an inverted position securely in plaee,a venttubewhich enters the bottle from below and reaches nearly to its closedupper end, and which serves to carry away the surplus gas or air thatmay be contained in the bottle, and

permits the liquid to enter the bottle and to fill it to the properextent.

The invention also consists in new mechanism for moving the vent-tubeand the other parts of the bottling apparatus, as hereinafter more fullydescribed.

p In the drawings, the letter A represents the table of the bottlingapparatus. a

B is the upper cross-head,which in this case also contains in itscentral portion ascreen, a,

for pressing on the upper end of the invertedbottle.

The upper cross-hcad,]3,is carried by vertical rods D D, which reachdownward through the table A and have their lower ends connected andproperly braced by a cross-bar. b. These rods D are'abovethe tableA,guided in hollow posts M M, which are analogous to the hollow post M ofLetters Patent No. 260, 7 65.

In the lower part of the table is pivoted a treadle, I, which connectsby rods 0 with sleeves e, that embrace the rods D beneath the table.These sleeves c are more clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3,and 4, and arespringclasps that embrace the rods D, and can be tightened onto them atvarying heights, so that the machine can be adjusted to bring and movethe rods D and cross-head 1B downward, by means of the treadle, to agreater or less extent, for the purpose of adapting the machine to thefilling of shorter or longer bottles. The bottle E to be filled is, ininverted position, placed into a cup-like screen, f, which is supportedon a cushioned slide, F, that rests on springs g and packing-ring h, asshown in Fig. 10. The mouth of the bottle E bears on a cushion, c, whichis contained in the lower part of the screen'f, all as shown in Fig. 10,so that when the treadle I is depressed. and the rods D taken hold ofand pulled down the screen a will crowd the bottle against thepacking-ring i, any excess of pressure which may occur during thismovement being taken up by the springs g and cushion it, which renderthe part F self-adjusting. The central the table A, as ShOWn in Fig. 10,and which,

' tle E.

G is an upright vent-tube, which enters from beneath the bore of thetube j, and reaches high enough to bring its upper end nearly to thebottom of the inverted bottle,

as indicated in Fig. 10. This upper end of the tube G, which tube ismore clearly shown in Fig. 12, has a small opening for the purpose ofallowing the air to escape from within the bottle E. The lower end ofthe tube G is secured, as appears more clearly from Fig. 5, to a hollowbracket, H, which has a valve-seat, 10, that is closed by.a valve, 9,whenever a spring, 8, is at liberty to press this valve down upon itsseat. The spindle t of the valve (1 is I at its upper part, where itprojects beyond the valve-chamber, grasped by the fork of a lever, Hwhich lever is pivoted at a to a post, 1), that projects from the hollowbracket H. The hollow bracket H, by a downwardly-proj ectin g nipple, w,and by a screw, ac, or by equivalent connection, is secured in ametallic frame, J, which, by straps or bars a is suspended from a lever,L, that is pivoted at b to the table A. The lever L is weighted, asshown at c The frame J may, if desired,be,and by preference is, providedwith vertical guide-tubes d through which the rods D pass. This ar-.rangement gives the framing J, and bracket H and the tube G, that areconnected with said framing, a vertical movement whenever the lever L isswung on its pivot, so as to raise or lower said framing and said partsthat are joined thereto. The lever L carries an upright screw, 6 whichcan be adjusted to project to a greater or less distance from thebody ofthe lever, and which, when the lever is swung up, strikes the under sideof the table A or any fixed projection thereon, thereby limiting theextent of the upward movement of the lever L.

. N is a bracket attached to the under side of the table A, and carryinga screw, j, which is aligned with the lever H so that it will strikesaid lever, in the manner shown in Fig. 5, whenever the lever L iscarried up.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The bottle, containing aninternal gravitating stopper, is first placed in inverted position intothe screen f,so that the tube G, when afterward raised, will enter thebottle and push the stopper away from the mouth of the .bottle. Thetreadle I is then depressed, so as to draw down the rods D and cause thescreen a to bear upon the bottom of the bottle, as in Fig. 10, crowdingthe bottle tightly upon its seat z. The cock in the supply-pipe. m cannow be opened to allow water, aerated or otherwise, or other liquid, tofiow into the 7 The flowof liquid into the bottle willynow continue, andwhatever air or superfluous gas may be contained in the bottle E willescape through the pipe G and hollow'bracket H, and through the openvalve -seat p. When the bottle has been properly filled, the lever L islowered, and will resume its normal position under the influence of itsown weight and that of the spring 3, which spring at the-same timecloses the valve :11. The treadle is now also let go, so that the guarda will again ascend 0 under the influence of the treadle-spring I, thusreleasing the bottle and allowing it to be lifted off. So soon as thetube G islowered by lowering the lever L, it leaves the bottle E,

and allows the gravitating stopper therein contained to drop into themouth of the bottle and properly close it. If theattendant should leavethe lever L up an undue time, so that perchance some of the water orliquid should escape from the bottle through the vent-pipe G, and enterthe valve-chamber that surrounds the valve-spindle t, it will, as soonas the valve (1 is closed, be able to escape through apertures that areformed in the valve-disk g, as more clearly indicated in Fig. 8. Astuffing-box, n, I05

surrounds the pipe G where it enters the tube or socket j, and preventsleakage around said pipe G.

-We'claim 1. The combination of the treadle I with no the rods 0,adjustable sleeves e, rods D, and screen a, substantially as and for thepurpose herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the slide F, having supply-passage r and lowersupporting-cu'sh- I I 5 ion, with the screen f, supply-pipe m, venttubeG, vertically-movable screen a, and means for operating the vent-tube G,substantially as specified.

3. The lever L, combined with the frame J,

hollow bracket H, having valve q, lever H abutment 7, support for thesame, and tube G, for operation substantially as specified.

4. The lever L, combined with the screw 6 frame J, hollow bracket H,having valve q,

lever H, abutment f, bracket N, and, ventpipe G, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

5. The combination of the tableA with the treadle I, rods 0, sleeves e,rods D, screen a,

screen f, slide F, tube G, hollow bracket H," valve q, lever H frame J,and lever L, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown Thisspecification of the invention of the and described. said JOHN MATTHEWS,deceased signed by us IO 6. In a bottling-machine, the vent-pipe G, this30th day of August, 1883..

combined with mechanism, substantially as ELIZABETH MATTHEWS. 5described, for lifting it, and mechanism, sub- GEORGE MATTHEWS.

stantially as described, for opening it when Witnesses:

lifted and closing it when lowered, substan- EMILY MATTHEWS,

tially as specified. GEORGE HEALY.

